How Is Our World Affected by Sin?
As we look around us, we see the impact of sin on our natural world, also referred to as: “mother nature”. Is there a connection between sin and the degrading we see in nature? Yes, indeed.
The Apostle Paul writing to the believers, who lived in the capital of the ruling empire of his day (Rome), wrote: “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.” Romans 8:22 NKJV.
Three points I want to make with this Bible passage: 1. The entire creation, which we sometimes refer to as Mother Nature, is
suffering. 2) Creation’s pain is compared with a pregnant woman during her labor. 3) “Until now”, this is a phrase that indicates that it has been already going on for a while.
Our world is in chaos. We see all around us, far and near, a list of natural disasters, such as tornadoes, earthquakes, Tsunamis, hurricanes, massive forest fires, droughts, flooding, pandemics, incurable diseases, birth defects which we have never heard or seen before, etc., just to mention a few. We could also add various forms of mental illnesses, affecting and threatening society in one way or another—mass shootings, as an example. Spiritually, the conditions are not any better. Basically, it is a fulfillment of what the Holy Scriptures predicted nearly two thousand years ago:
“In the last days there will be very difficult times. For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly.”34
After describing my first point (Creation’s groaning) referred above from the Bible passage, Romans 8:22. Please, let me continue with my second point.
The Apostle Paul compared Creation’s pains with a pregnant woman during her labor. Two
characteristics of this labor process are: 1. The frequency of the contractions increase drastically. 2). The contractions become more intense. We are witnesses to both qualities of these contractions taking place all around us. Never in the history of mankind have these two characteristics been more palpable than today.
My third point is also coming from Romans 8:22. “Until Now.” This third clause suggests that this groaning has been happening all along until the time of Paul. The context clearly points all the way back to the time of Creation, after the fall of Adam and Eve into sin.35 Mother Nature lost its pristine beauty, health, and perfection.
Yet, something within us tells us that the current condition of the world is not right. All this suffering, pain, death, and evil must finish.
“The creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay.”36
